Issues: Hospitals

Senator Bonacic attended a ceremony at the O’Connor Hospital in Delhi on May 21, 2014 to dedicate the new atrium entrance which is named in his honor. “It was a wonderful event,” said Pete Hamilton, Chairman of the O’Connor Hospital’s Board of Trustees (not pictured). “We are so appreciative of the support from Senator Bonacic over the years, and we believe this was the appropriate way to honor him. Our sincerest thanks to Senator Bonacic, Dr.

BRONX, NY - The upcoming Memorial Day weekend, marks the unofficial start of summer – but it also marks the beginning of what is known as the “100 Deadliest Days” for teen drivers. Underage drinking continues to be a chronic problem in New York City with nearly 1,800 summonses a year issued by the NYPD for sales of alcohol to minors.

Senator Bonacic attended a ceremony in his honor at the O'Connor Hospital in Delhi on May 21, 2014 to dedicate the new atrium entrance at the facility which is named for him. Here is the Senator with Dan Ayres, CEO of O'Connor Hospital.

"It was a wonderful event, said Pete Hamilton, Chairman of the O'Connor Hospital's Board of Trustrees, "We are so appreciative of the support from Senator Bonacic over the years, and we believe this was the appropriate way to honor him. Our sincerest thanks to Senator Bonacic, Dr. William Streck, who is retiring, and the community at large for helping to achieve this great success."

Here’s a straightforward, but deceptively hard question: You’re deciding between two doctors for your upcoming heart surgery. One has advertised as being “board certified” by the American Academy of Cardiology. The other, you learn, was certified by the American College of Cardiology. Which one would you trust with the scalpel? (The answer is at the end of this column.)

If you’re hemming and hawing about your answer, take comfort. You are not alone. It is so easy to get confused about the qualifications of medical professionals – and your life may depend on it.

I believe the medical profession needs more truth in its advertising. I’ve introduced a bill that would protect the patient by implementing four small changes.

ALBANY, NY—State Senator David J. Valesky (D-Oneida) today lauded the passage of the state’s fourth and historic consecutive on-time budget. This has not been accomplished with the same Governor and legislative leaders in more than 40 years.

ALBANY – For the second year in a row, Senator Catharine Young (R,C,I-Olean), Chair of the Legislative Commission on Rural Resources, announced that she successfully secured funding crucial to the continued operation of New York’s Critical Access Hospitals.

“These facilities serve as a healthcare lifeline for many rural communities. The people they serve are reliant on the healthcare services they provide,” said Senator Young.

ALBANY—A group of 13 Republican state senators has signed off on a letter to Governor Andrew Cuomo asking him to ensure upstate hospitals get a share of $8 billion in federal Medicaid waiver funds.

While the state and federal government reached a broad outline of an agreement more than a month ago to give New York state $8 billion over the next five years to transform its hospitals, that plan has not yet been finalized, in part because of continuing negotiations over which hospitals will qualify to receive the money, particularly over the definition of so-called “safety-net” hospitals.

Senator Bill Larkin (R-C, Cornwall-on-Hudson) said: “I am very pleased that St. Luke’s Cornwall Hospital has decided to keep the Cornwall Emergency Department open 24 hours a day and not pursue an application with the Department of Health for a reduction in hours at this time. While we are not out of the woods yet on this issue, I look forward to working with all parties to make sure the community and most importantly the patients are represented while the discussions concerning the Cornwall campus occur.”

Last week Senator George Maziarz toured Strong West, a growing health care facility operated by the University of Rochester Medical Center. This site is quickly filling a void in the Brockport community and beyond that was created when Lakeside Hospital closed in 2013.

Senator Young recently appeared on the Senate TV program “Your Voice” to discuss her efforts to save Lake Shore Hospital, protect access to quality community healthcare, and restore our state’s economy.

Last month, more than 1,200 people came out to the Rally to Save Lake Shore and raise their voices in support of keeping the hospital open. They were heard all the way to Albany as we delivered a strong, unified message in support of protecting emergency care, ensuring access to vital health services, and preserving the hundreds of jobs provided by Lake Shore.

BROOKLYN -- Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez, State Senator Daniel Squadron, Assemblywoman Joan Millman, and City Councilmembers Brad Lander, Steve Levin, and Carlos Menchaca released the following statement in response to the settlement agreement reached today regarding Long Island College Hospital (LICH):

"We've long urged SUNY and the State to agree to a new, more open RFP process for LICH, to make sure our community and all of Brooklyn have the best possible healthcare outcome.

"And, finally, SUNY has come to agreement with the community and healthcare providers on a process that achieves this basic goal, while offering added transparency and community input.

"Now, it's critical that the process moves forward in good faith and in a timely way, with meaningful community participation from the many neighborhoods that LICH serves. We will continue to work with SUNY, the community, and our colleagues to ensure that LICH continues to provide care, and play the role that Brooklyn needs."

As a mother and a grandmother, I know there’s nothing better than a newborn baby. I also know that along with the excitement, comes the feeling of wanting to make sure your little one is as healthy as he or she can be.

"I commend Governor Cuomo for his relentless work in securing an agreement with the federal government that will allow our state to reinvest $8 billion into our healthcare system. Not only will this funding be key in allowing our State to improve the quality and access of care for all New Yorkers, but it will also help create a more efficient healthcare system for our State's citizens. These dollars will be essential in repairing the economic strain many of our hospitals face and allow them to continue to provide care to the communities they serve. This is truly a win for New York."

BRONX - Today a cutting-edge statewide gun and gang violence prevention program – Operation SNUG – received a $300,000 award from State Senator Jeff Klein to operate in The Bronx’s Jacobi Medical Center. The hospital also generously chipped in another $50,000 to the anti-gun violence effort.

BROOKLYN -- Today, Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez, State Senator Daniel Squadron, Assemblywoman Joan Millman, and Councilmembers Brad Lander, Steve Levin, and Carlos Menchaca sent the following letter to State University of New York (SUNY) Chairman Carl McCall regarding Long Island College Hospital (LICH):

Senator George D. Maziarz (R-C, Newfane) is pleased to announce that Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center has been awarded $456,635 through the Vital Access/Safety Net Provider Program (VAP). The VAP, which is administered by the New York State Department of Health, is designed to help enhance health care access for vulnerable populations including frail, elderly, and low-income persons.

"As federal, state and city elected officials, we stand together against SUNY's latest attempt to turn LICH into a luxury condo deal. As we have consistently said, SUNY, Governor Cuomo, and the NYS Department of Health must support a new, more open, and expedited process to solve the crisis at LICH -- in order to ensure the best possible outcome for Brooklyn.